Do You Want Better Sleep?

What can affect your sleep?

While sleep needs vary from one person to the next, most people need a minimum of 6-7 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. Many require 8 hours or more. Yet statistics confirm that up to 60 percent of adults report sleep problems at least a few nights each week. Some have difficulty falling asleep. Others wake frequently during the night or after sleeping only a few hours (early waking). Why are so many people getting far less sleep than their bodies require? Many sleep experts believe that stress is the number one cause of short-term sleep loss. But even short-term stress can trigger a cascade of events that leads to long-term sleep issues. How does that happen?

The internal mechanisms that regulate your body temperature, eating habits, hormone regulation, and sleep-wake cycles (circadian rhythms) typically run on a 24-hour schedule. Since we no longer plan our days around the rising and setting of the sun, even seemingly minor changes in routine can interfere with the neurochemical processes involved in sleep regulation. Once your sleep cycles are disrupted, it can be hard to get back on track.